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Design

Corey Norris
Corey Norris
2,810 Points
Posted by Corey Norris
Corey Norris
2,810 Points

Hitting a roadblock in Illustrator Foundations

Everything was going fine until I got to the paintbrush. Now, I literally can't draw a straight line with a ruler. I have no history of drawing just for fun or doodling little cartoons or anything like that. It's never been an interest of mine to learn how to draw. Now I get to this paintbrush badge and I'm being asked to trace this cartoon of an astronaut and I'm finding it maddeningly frustrating.

Right now I'm on the PHP Developer Adventure so technically I'm not required to complete the Illustrator Foundations but I thought it would be helpful to learn when I decide to build a portfolio. I thought Illustrator would be a great tool to jot down some general design decisions before I go ahead and program a finished site.

Should I just suck it up and get through these exercises no matter how long it takes? Would it help if I went out and bought a stylus to use instead of the mouse? Should I just abandon this path and get back to the PHP Adventure? I'd love to hear some thoughts from the community.

2 Answers

John Locke
John Locke
15,479 Points
John Locke
John Locke
15,479 Points

Hi Corey:

If you want to try Illustrator, just keep coming back to it in little bits, if you hit a spot that's frustrating you. It's super hard for me as well. No one will think any less of you if there are parts of your design and development that aren't as stellar as the others parts.

My short advice, is do things that interest you, just for the sake of your own enjoyment.

James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points
James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points

My short advice, is do things that interest you, just for the sake of your own enjoyment.

+1 on this advice

Everyone isn't good at everything, I say play to your strengths.

Mat Helme
STAFF
Mat Helme
Treehouse Guest Teacher
Mat Helme
Mat Helme
Treehouse Guest Teacher

Hey Corey Norris ,

Sketching and illustrating is a hand eye coordination skill one must acquire through years of practice. It's similar to learning to type quickly and efficiently on the keyboard, it takes time and practice.

I would suggest proceeding through Illustrator Foundations even if you dont acquire the drawing techniques. Its not a necessity but more a skill set. You dont have to know everything, just be aware of it as there are many different ways to do the same tasks. In Stage 5 and 6 you will learn a handful of techniques that will help you with web design layouts and image output for the web. Stick with it!

  • Mat Helme